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Camp Kalahari

Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari, Botswana

Refreshingly simple with a traditional style, Camp Kalahari allows you to enjoy an authentic safari camp experience in the wide expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pan. Ideal for those who favor adventure of luxury, the camp offers comfortable tented accommodation, with the lack of electricity adding to the rustic atmosphere.

The thatched, open-plan communal area features a cozy library, living and dining area adorned with African furniture and textiles as well as colonial antiques. There’s also a separate lounge strewn with cushions, providing a relaxing space to return to after an activity-filled day. Alternatively, cool off in the swimming pool or unwind in the shade of the thatched poolside pavilion.

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Rooms

The spacious guest tents each have an en suite bathroom with hot and cold water and flush toilets. They offer four-poster double beds or twin beds, colorful Moroccan kilim rugs, dressing tables, wooden trunks for storage and hot water bottles for cooler nights. The family unit includes two adjacent tents and a connecting bathroom. Large windows along each of the walls allows for plenty of natural light.

Location

Situated just outside Makgadikgadi Pans National Park , the camp is set amongst acacias and Mokolwane palm trees and offers easy access to the vast salt pan – the remnant of a huge ancient lake. Along with dramatic scenery, the area is home to a variety of wildlife, including rare brown hyena. Those visiting during the wet season can also see large numbers of migrating zebra and wildebeest.

Food and Drink

The chef at the camp serves fresh and tasty home-cooked meals, which are enjoyed in the main dining area and served on plates rather than in a buffet style. Most dietary requirements and special requests can be catered for if the camp is informed in advance.

Families

All children are welcome to stay at the camp. A roll-away bed can be added to tents to accommodate one child under the age of 12. There’s also a family tent comprising of two adjacent tents connected by a bathroom for up to two adults and three children. A children’s menu is available, and children can take part in the camp activities, but must be 12 or over to have their own quad bike.

Facilities and Activities

There’s a library and a pool on site, as well as comfortable loungers. The camp’s guides work with local bushmen to provide morning guided walks, where you can learn about survival in the harsh salt pan environment, as well as the local flora and fauna. During the dry season you can go quad biking across the pan (helmets not provided). Meanwhile, safaris allow you to encounter wildlife such as meerkat, aardvark, springbuck and brown hyena.

Local Excursions

You may wish to visit the nearby Chapman’s Baobab, a widely-known tree that was once used as a campsite for early explorers and is believed to be the third largest tree in Africa.

Our opinion

Offering similar activities to its sister camps, Camp Kalahari is a fairly simple option, but its location is excellent and we think the activities offered here are great fun.

Suggested Camp Kalahari itinerary

This trip gives a wonderful experience of the diversity and uniqueness of Botswana's landscapes. Travelling in the Emerald Season you are likely to have some rainfall however you will also see the desert regions at their best for wildlife and enjoy the Okavango Delta at its most lush and green.
You begin with a visit to the Makgadikgadi Pans, an incredible stark salt pans landscape which blooms at this time of year attracting zebra and antelope herds. Move on to Tau Pan where the game viewing is at its height in the Emerald Season and then finally travel to the unique and beautiful Nxai Pan. At this time of year the birdlife is superb and this is the time of year when plains game give birth to their young.

Nearby places

Places & hotels on the map

Alternative places to stay nearby

Where possible, we like to offer a range of accommodation for each stop of your trip, chosen by our specialists as some of their favorite places to stay. To help you make the right choice, we give each property a rating based on its facilities and service, but we also look for hotels with distinct character or a location that can’t be bettered.

Enjoying elevated views over the Boteti River, Meno A Kwena is a classic tented camp that harks back to early exploration. It offers a range of activities exploring the area’s wildlife, culture and landscape.

Planet Baobab has eight en suite Bakalanga mud huts which have been inspired by the traditional homes of Botswana. All of these huts are different in style and design and have their own private veranda decorated with local artwork.

San Camp is an experience unlike any other, set in a harsh but fabulous environment. It is absolutely superb for a three or more night stay at the start or end of any safari, guaranteeing your vacation will be totally unforgettable.

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Our rating

Opulent:

The world's most unashamedly luxurious hotels and resorts.

Deluxe:

Superb accommodation with facilities and service to match.

First Class:

A high standard of accommodation with a wide range of facilities.

Medium:

A good standard of accommodation, reasonable range of facilities.

Simple:

Clean and simple but limited facilities.

Basic:

Very primitive accommodation where we are not aware of anything better.

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